Legal professional Normal James Prospects Coalition to Assist Rapidly-Foodstuff Restaurant Staff

AG James Prospects Coalition Pushing to Guard NYC Legislation
Necessitating Just Bring about to Hearth Personnel at Rapid-Food items Dining places

NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James nowadays ongoing her attempts to stand up for workers’ rights, top a coalition of 15 attorneys general in filing an amicus transient to defend a New York Metropolis statute that demands just result in to fireplace or decrease the hrs of a rapid-food chain employee. This law, which took result in 2021, requires quick-food items chain dining places in New York City to offer a valid motive — these as unsatisfactory efficiency, misconduct, or a respectable economic issue — ahead of firing or lowering the hrs of an employee. The temporary argues that the regulation passed by New York City does not violate the Countrywide Labor Relations Act or the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Structure.

“Hardworking New Yorkers are entitled to to have the peace of intellect that they will not just be fired for no reputable reason,” explained Lawyer Typical James. “New York has the correct to enact actions to guard our inhabitants and their wellbeing, and this regulation assists shield workers from being taken gain of by company powers. As Legal professional Normal, I will generally struggle for hardworking New Yorkers and their families.” 

In the amicus transient, Legal professional Typical James and her fellow attorneys common note that area and condition authorities routinely enforce their labor legislation to tackle violations of condition minimal wage, additional time, prevailing wage, and other protections, and that this New York Metropolis statute is a element of that sovereign authority. The coalition transient, submitted in the U.S. Courtroom of Appeals for the Next Circuit, asks the court docket to uphold the ruling of the U.S. District Court docket for the Southern District of New York, which agreed that the just bring about regulation is not preempted by federal law and does not violate the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Structure.

Legal professional Typical James has consistently worked to protect workers’ legal rights and office security laws, specifically for minimal-wage personnel and personnel of major businesses. This earlier Might, Legal professional Basic James secured additional than $2.9 million for hundreds of New York City Marriott staff who ended up denied whole severance pay. In April, Legal professional Standard James secured stolen wages for employees of a Manhattan-based pizzeria chain. Also in April, Lawyer Typical James visited the Buffalo Starbucks which voted to unionize, to convey her support for the staff as they fought for fairer fork out and far better performing problems from their multi-billion-greenback firm. In April 2020, all through the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Attorney Common James demanded that speedy-food items dining places provide individual protective gear to their employees. In March 2019, Attorney Typical James joined fellow attorneys common in securing an settlement with Arby’s, Dunkin’ Models, 5 Fellas Burgers and Fries, and Very little Caesars to end employing “no-poach” agreements, which restrict the correct of speedy-foods employees to shift from just one franchise to another in the exact restaurant chain.   

Joining Attorney Standard James in filing this brief are the lawyers basic of California, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Mexico, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Washington, and the District of Columbia.

This amicus transient was prepared by Assistant Solicitor Common Stephen Yanni, Deputy Solicitor Normal Ester Murdukhayeva, and Solicitor Basic Barbara D. Underwood –– all of the Division for Appeals and Viewpoints.